Among the hundreds of words that could describe the all-too-brief life of Connor Williams, perhaps the most appropriate — yet unused — was perseverance.

It’s the word that he nailed to capture the spelling bee championship at New Philadelphia’s East Elementary in 2011, ending a 20-round battle that spread over two school days.

It’s the word that describes his approach to life following the death June 15, 2008, of his mother, Annette Williams, 39, after her two-year battle with breast cancer.

It was just one word in the sixth-grader’s very large vocabulary teachers compared to that of an adult — a vocabulary that has fallen silent.

Hundreds of adults and some children attended the funeral services Thursday morning of Connor Patrick Williams, 11, of New Philadelphia, in First Baptist Church in New Philadelphia.

Connor died in his sleep early Sunday while on a family vacation at Hidden Valley Resort, a ski resort about 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. He had been skiing Saturday, a sport he loved.

An autopsy has been conducted, but the Somerset County coroner said Wednesday that it will be at least a couple of months before results are back from toxicology tests that could help determine the cause of death.

On Thursday, the family’s neighbor, friend and church Pastor Jeff Bartell asked the crowd, “Can I encourage you not to ask ‘Why?’ We’ll probably never know.”

He remarked that “life is definitely not fair, and it’s not easy,” and that no parent should have their child die.

Aware that some people “might have thoughts of blaming God, please don’t do that,” he said, adding soon afterward that “God knows what it’s like to lose his only begotten son.”

Bartell told Connor’s father, Patrick Williams, and 9-year-old sister, Kathleen, that “this room is full of people who love you. Please don’t hesitate to call on us.”